A 400-level student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has been sentenced to three months community service for committing romance scam.

Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin has convicted and sentenced one Akinsanya Olamide Ridwan, on Monday after his arraignment on one one-count charge, bordering on internet fraud by the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The charge read: “That you, Akinsanya Riwan (a.k.a Alex James) sometime in March, 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by personation by pretending and representing yourself to be a white man called Alex James to an unsuspected white woman, Stewart Sonia on a dating site called Hangout as it is contained in your Gmail account: alexjames789123@gmail.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria”

Ridwan pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mahmoud Ibrahim Hamman, an EFCC Assistant Detective Superintendent told the court that the defendant was arrested on March 16, 2020 at Pipeline, behind Princess hotel, Ilorin, based on intelligence.

“A search was conducted in his house and one Galaxy phone and laptop were recovered, we analysed them and discovered an email box where several fraudulent messages were printed in his presence”, he said.

Justice Oyinloye convicted Ridwan based on exhibits tendered and the proof of evidence.

He said the student will clear the drainage at Bekind Filing Station near Tipper Garage, Tanke, up to UNILORIN for three months from September 2, 2020.

The distance is about 4 kilometers.

In addition to the community service, Oyinloye ordered the convict to pay a fine of N50,000

Oyinloye told Ridwan to get a notice of clearance from UNILORIN Registrar and Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The judge warned that failure to do so would attract six-month imprisonment.